Q&A with Matthew Terry

Model Behavior

Matthew Terry was just a regular guy from Pennsylvania who dabbled at odd jobs in construction and stocked shelves at his local Acme grocery store before becoming a personal trainer. He also happened to be pretty good looking. Terry’s mom thought so too, so she secretly submitted his photo to the annual VMAN/Ford Model search. That’s when things started changing for the 20-year-old. Soon, Terry found himself on the cover of VMAN magazine as a finalist. But it gets better. A few weeks later, he was asked to be the face of Calvin Klein Bold underwear. This entailed working with renowned photographer Steven Klein in Joshua Tree, California—and seeing his face plastered all over billboards and in magazine ads. Here, the small-town boy with the media-savvy mom talks about staying in shape for his new occupation, his weakness for sweets and his secret talent—in case this whole modeling thing doesn’t work out.

Men’s Health: What’s one thing that surprised you about modeling that most peopledon’t know?Matthew Terry: How much fun it can be. I always try to talk to the people on set, whether it’s the other models, the photographer, the hair and make-up crew or sometimes the editors from magazines. I try to make it a fun experience, which makes the whole process much easier.

MH: What is your regular exercise regimen and what areas do you primarily focus on?MT: I generally try to work out four to five days a week, along with anyother small workouts that I do at home during my spare time. Some days I do a full body workout at the gym and other days target specific muscles. I like to focus the most on my core. I try to incorporate it into my workouts every time I exercise.

MH: What did you do to get in shape specifically for the campaign?MT: For the campaign, I really focused on my diet and exercising. I pushed myself harder than I normally would and I switched my workouts to consistent circuit training and isometric training, but still did full body and targeted muscle workouts.

MH: With your background as a personal trainer, what are the biggest mistakes you see guys making at the gym?MT: People not knowing the right technique for an exercise. I've suffered a few injuries myself by not using proper technique.

MH: Tell us about your diet. What is the balance you like to strike daily?MT: I always like to have my daily intake of protein, such as chicken and other meats, as well as fluids. I'm a really big water drinker so I try to always have at least eight glasses of water a day.

MH: What are your diet musts?MT: Getting my protein. Sometimes it’s hard to do if I'm traveling or just really busy, so I use protein shakes to fill those gaps. I only use whey protein supplements and always try to have a shake after my workouts.

MH: What’s your biggest food weakness?MT: Chocolate and Double Stuf Oreos. I do my best to stay away, but sometimes I just can’t, and so the next time I workout, I just do a little more for the Oreos.

MH: What is your favorite exercise?MT: Pullups—espcially Marine pullups, which really focus on your traps, shoulders, and biceps. They're tough because you need to lift your chin completely above the bar and return to a deadhang each time.

MH: What’s your secret talent?MT: I don’t think I have a secret talent, but I really like to play music. I like to play the drums. It's a lot of fun, especially when I play with my friends. They play the guitar, bass and keyboard; hopefully we can go somewhere with it in the future. Click here to see Matthew playing the drums around New York.

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